Improvements pocket-knives



F. BOOKER.

POCKET-KNIVES.

No.188,Z31L Patented March13, 1877;

W,, WI

J60. I I

N. PErERS. FHOTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, n (L FAREWELL BOOKER, OF SHELBURNE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN POCKET' KNlVES.

Specification forming part of'Letters Patent No. 188,231, dated March 13,1877; application filed November 3, 1876.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FAREWELL BOOKER, of Shelburne Falls, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pocketllutlery'; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to so construct a pocket-knife as to dispense with the ordinary separate back-spring; and to this end my invention consists of a metallic handle, having the sides and back made solid, or in one piece, and with short grooves or recesses made in the blade end of the handle, into which corresponding ridges made upon the heel of the blade lit when the blade is I either open or shut, to hold the blade firmly I of the handle, showing the blade in place and open; and Fig. III is an inside view of the blade end of the handle.

In the drawings, A represents the handle, having the sides and back made solid, or in one piece, and having the grooves a made on the inside, (one on each side,) extending lengthwise the handle a little distance each side of the pivot-hole h; and another groove may be made on each side, at right angles to the longitudinal one, although this is not required.

The heel f of the blade G is made circular at its end, as shown in the drawing, and upon each side of the heel is made a ridge, 1), extending a short distance lengthwise the blade, and of a form to fit properly the groove a.

The heel f of the blade is made of such thickness as can be crowded or forced in between the two sides of the handle, which spring inward, and press firmly against the sides of the heel of the blade when in place.

The handle should be made of some metal that will retain its elasticity; and it may be either cast of some suitable metal, and afterward hardened sufficiently, or it may be swaged or wrought from suitable metal, and bent into its proper shape; but, in either case, the sides of the handle should spring in firmly against the heel of the blade.

When the blade is pivoted into the handle and the knife shut, the ridges b on the heel of theblade are held in the grooves a by they held when the blade was shut, and the A blade then remains open and in a firm position for use; and when in this position the shoulder a at the heel of .the blade bears against the shoulder a at the back of the handle, and gives firm support to the blade.

It is obvious that the grooves and ridges may be reversedthat is to. say, the ridges may be made on the interior of the handle, and the grooves be made on the heel of the blade-without changing in the least the principle of operation.

I am aware that corkscrews and similar articles have heretofore been made in which ridges and grooves were used to hold the screw either open or shut; but the screw would open or close in either direction, and no similarityexists between the use of such implements and that of my invention; andI do not claim the same irrespective of my construction and application of the devices for retaining the blade in position in the knifehandle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is-- A knife-handle whose sides and back are of one piece, incombination with a blade and the devicesviz., the grooves and ridges-for holding the blade either open or shut, substantially as set forth.

FAREWELL BOOKER.

Witnesses: I

A. E. EHNER, JOSEPH BEER. 

